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Digest

Rescue teams need rescuing after storms

By TIMES WIRES
Published April 1, 2007

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DALLAS - Thunderstorms hammered parts of Texas early Saturday, blacking out about 66,000 energy customers in the Houston area and spinning out tornadoes. The same group of storms sent a twister through a small town west of Waco late Friday, and about 40 people had to be evacuated from their homes in Haltom City because of flooding. Some Haltom City rescuers had to be rescued themselves. Three of them were trying to reach a handicapped woman when strong current swamped their boat and they had to cling to trees, said Deputy Chief Wes Rhodes. A backup team sent to their aid had to climb on top of cars, and finally teams from Fort Worth and Hurst came in with hovercraft and rescued the rescuers, he said.

Three people shot in robbery attempt

ATLANTA - Three people were shot during an attempted robbery at a shopping mall Saturday, police said. One person was critically wounded. Authorities were still piecing together what happened but said the shootings happened about 5:15 p.m. in a store at Greenbriar Mall. One of the injured people was a security guard, according to police. Three young men got away in a sport utility vehicle, police said. The injured were taken to a hospital, where two people were listed in stable condition, police said.

Flight attendant faces gun charge

WASHINGTON - A uniformed flight attendant was arrested at Dulles International Airport on Friday after she turned herself in for allegedly carrying a concealed handgun aboard a flight from Atlanta, authorities said Saturday. The Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies were investigating whether the gun passed through security unnoticed in Atlanta, TSA spokesman Barry Phelps said. Janet Tucker, 45, of Lithonia, Ga., was charged with having a concealed weapon at the airport.

Merck gets okay for diabetes drug

A 2-in-1 medicine to treat diabetes has won federal approval, Merck & Co. Inc. said Saturday. The tablet, called Janumet, combines a proprietary Merck drug, Januvia, with the older diabetes drug metformin. Merck hopes the combination version will make it easier for those diabetics to control their blood sugar levels. The Food and Drug Administration approved Januvia in October. That drug enhances the body's own ability to lower blood sugar levels.

Elsewhere

Marietta, Ga.: Heather Lyn Johnston, 19, one of the two young women dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" after they were accused of holding up a bank, has been released after posting $11,000 bail, authorities said Saturday. Ashley Miller, 18, remains in jail.

Montgomery, Ala.: A car going the wrong way on a divided highway collided head-on with a Greyhound bus early Saturday, killing the driver of the car and injuring 20 others, police said.

Hesperia, Calif.: Residents of more than 30 homes were ordered to evacuate Saturday as a wildfire burned out of control in hills and canyons in this city east of Los Angeles, authorities said. The fire had burned about 900 acres. The cause was under investigation. Hesperia is about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles.